


Transmission Ends

by Tarlan



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Angst, Community: mcsheplets, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-30
Updated: 2011-06-30
Packaged: 2017-10-20 21:23:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/217229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Of all the ways to die, Rodney considered hypothermia better than asphyxiation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Transmission Ends

**Author's Note:**

> Written for _mcsheplets_ prompt #88 Sleep

"The power's running out," Rodney murmured, sighing softly as John blinked tiredly.

They had reduced life support to the bare minimum, trying to conserve as much power as possible so they could keep the emergency beacon signaling on a channel that only Atlantis would monitor. Rodney knew it was just a matter of time now before even that small transmission came to an end and the life support failed altogether. They had been drifting for days, ever since the battle that had sent them tumbling into the void between worlds with their engines crippled.

Shaking with cold, he huddled closer to John to share body heat and it crossed his mind that falling asleep and dying from hypothermia was likely preferable to asphyxiation. At least they would never feel a thing. He felt John's arm tighten on him, pulling him closer, and decided to play along with an old fantasy that John's touch was fueled by more than just a survival instinct. Rodney pressed his face against John's neck, letting his lips _accidentally_ brush the bristled skin. He felt John's pulse jump and thought for a moment that John would push him away, but instead he drew him in closer still.

John turned his head a fraction and Rodney convinced himself that he felt the brush of John's lips upon his hair.

"I'm sorry," John whispered.

Rodney nodded curtly, deciding not to waste precious oxygen on a verbal response. Perhaps it had been John's fault this time around but Rodney had made his share of mistakes in the past--any one of which could have killed them. Even so, if it had been a pointless venture then maybe Rodney would have summoned the energy to remonstrate with him. Instead, John had drawn fire from a hive ship and the darts buzzing around it, giving a beleaguered Traveler ship time to jump into hyperspace--taking over four hundred frightened men, women and children to safety.

Luck, if Rodney could call it that, had come in the form of a second Wraith ship attacking the first, and while they were engaged in their civil war, Rodney had managed to cloak the jumper and they had slowly drifted far enough away from the battle to be forgotten. After both damaged hive ships jumped into hyperspace, he and John were left alone in the vastness of space.

The transmitter gave one last attempt at sending the weak signal and then fell silent.

"Guess that's it," John said softly.

He tilted Rodney's face up gently and pressed a kiss against his lips. After a moment of stunned surprise, Rodney opened to the tender kiss, sobbing softly under his breath at discovering too late that his fantasies could have become a reality. John pulled away reluctantly and slid sideways until he was lying on the floor of the puddlejumper, pulling Rodney down with him, pressing Rodney's head back against his shoulder.

"Let's get some sleep," he murmured, stroking Rodney's hair, and as Rodney felt his heavy eyes closing from fatigue, he sensed the temperature in the jumper begin to drop at John's mental command. He smiled as he fell deeper into sleep.

****

Far away, a hyperspace window opened, and they slept on as the Asgard beam pulled them away from death.

END


End file.
